Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-12-10
Builein9 In Winter.


American Architect
The gentlemen whom the Japanese commission
srs selected as the best architects in Europe,
Nessrs. Ende and B5ckmann, Of Berlin write 70 the
Dsttsche Ba,Izeituno some observations on the
subject OF building In winter which are lust now
very timely. The experiences Of the flrm dates
back to 1864. when they were commissioned TO
build stOre-rocm In the rear OF bake shop on
the principal street In Berlin. There were special
urged the architects to allow IL to be carried on
through the winter: They told him OF the opinion.
which was then universal. that mason-work done
in the winter would be so injured by the frost that
10 would have to be taken down In the spring, to
prevent it from falling Of itself He persisted,
warm weather came, the architects examined the
building with some sOlicftude, expecting TO nd at
least some portions OF the wall so disintegrated
by freezing as to require replacing with fresh
work; but Inspection failed to show the smallest
spot In which the mortar had not its normal
consistency, and, In fact, the work seemed to be
even stronger than usual Since that time, they
WRITE they have never hesitated TO build with
stone or brick through the severest winters using
hot water and freshly -saked lime the mortar In
very cold weather, and only interrupting the work
when even these precautions fail TO prevent the
mortar from freezing In the tubs; and they have
as yet seen any bad effect from the practice
beyond the necessity Tor replacing now and then a
little badly frozen WORK This according TO them,
any doubt as To whether masonry has been injured
by frost or not II the mortar really freezes 1t be-
comes entirely disintegrated, at the same time
lifting the stones bricks out OF place. so that as
Messrs Ende and Bockmann say, after thawin1
there is nothing left but loose sand between the
displaced stones, and. In order to go on with the
wall, 10 Is necessary to remove the loose blocks,
and brush away the crumbed mortar, down to
solid work. This done. building can be resumed
on the firm supstructure without danger, and the
mortar which has not been entirely destroyed by
the frost is likely TO be harder than II laid In sum-
mer. They acknowledge that mortar made with
Berlin lime may behave differently from that used
In other places; but that their experience in their
own city agrees with that OF Others they infer
building = a - N
Berlin quite as assiduousy In winter In
mer; and II wnter-ouilt walls were as defective
every spring would &c followed by series OF catas-
trophies.
We do not know what sort OF lime is used in Ber-
lin, but suppose, from the fact that Messrs. Ende
and B6ckmann use IL freshly slaked In cold
weather, that II must be tolerably pure. since an
In England or the New York ground lime, would
not develop heat enough in shaking to keep the
mortar warm Whether wall laid In mortar
made with such lime Is injured by freezing, Is
here, as In Germany, still disputed question.
That the upper courses or stone are lifted and dis
placed by a heavy frost, and the mortar under and
betw cen them disintegrated is certain and most
architects have had occasion to order foot or so
OF the top OF a winter-built wall 70 be taken on
before resuming work upon II In the spring; but
our experience. which, we suppose, agrees with
that OF Others Is that the Joints in the remainder
OF the wall, II made with lime mortar, or even
with mortar containing small dose OF cement,
prove Ia the spring to be In good condition, with
the exception OF an inch or two on the outside,
which shows loose, sandy mass under atOlerably
consistent crust, and ought to be raked out
to the hard interior portion, and the wall
tom Of the lower seem portions Of S the wall wall
would be due to It's having been defended
from freezing by the more exposed por.
that the temperature OF the exterior ard interior
OF an exposed wall could hardly vary greatly, and
We have seen masonry laid with stones SO cold
that the mortar froze TO them, which appeared In
good condition In the spring. with the exception OF
q superficial dsintegratiOn OF the mortar. Not
knowing how else TO account fOr the phenomenon,
we have thought It possible that mortar under a
superincumbent weight sufficient to prevent 1t
from expanding might not lose It's consistency by
freezing and that this would explain the fact that
tine crumbling was confined TO the upper portions,
and the outside OF the joints, where the resistance
to expansion Is slight. II is true that II lime NOR
tar expanded In freezing with the force that clay
or wet gravel does, the weight OF 1 or feet Of
stone would not keep 1t in place, but there is some
paratv ely feeble. Although Climate Of Berlin
In regard TO winter temperature, Is much like
mules north Or New YORK from one Of me grtates9
risks TO which our wiDter-built structures are ex
posed-that OF alternate freezing and thawing on
the same day. With us. even in January, the sun
Is often so warm In the middle OF the day
as TO melt the south side OF wall laid
up the day before with cold bricks, and
frozen In q few minutes afterward; and the
wall consequently bends toward the sun. As
the mortar Is only softened on one side IT is dlf-
cult TO bring the wall back TO the vertical, and IL
Is often necessary TO take 1t all down and start
afresh In order 10 continue work on the building.
or course these observations DO not apply 10 ma
sonry laid In cement, which Is far more seriously
affected by freezing than lime and with cement
walls built In winter II is wise precaution to heat
the bricks over furnace ike those used by coal
tar cOncreters before using them. Warmed In this
way they will retain the heat long enough to ell
able the cement 10 set before the frost Can affect
II. The whole subject of the behavior OF mOrtars
and cements in cold weather Is as yet little under
stood. Ten years or 50 ago so excellent an au-
thorty as Trautwine asserted that cement mortar
not injured by freezing, but this assertion has
been disproved by ample evidence. and is omitted
In the later editions OF his handbook. The new
practice OF adding salt TO mortar to prevent 1t
IRON injury by frost bids fair to become Of great
importance, but further experiments are much
needed.